Eventually they were ready to leave and they set off on the bus with a picnic hamper that Beattie had prepared for them. The roads from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey had been closed and they found the whole area thronging with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal coach bearing the Princess to her wedding.
At last they stood amongst the crowds along the route as the state coach passed by, escorted by the Household Cavalry who were resplendent in scarlet tunics. The Princess, who looked enchanting in an ivory gown embroidered with flowers of beads and pearls, waved to them, her expression truly radiant, and Beryl and Rebekash sighed with delight at the romance of it all. Adina meanwhile was busily herding them all together again.
‘Come on,’ she urged. ‘We need to get down the Mall so that we can see them at the Palace when they appear on the balcony after the wedding breakfast. If we don’t get a move on we’ll never find a place.’
The two women took the children’s hands and led them in that direction, which was no mean feat as they struggled along shoulder-to-shoulder with all the other wellwishers. When the Princess and her new husband finally appeared, the crowd roared with appreciation and the children were caught up in the mood of it all. By the time they set off across St James’s Park, to catch the bus home, they were all tired but happy.
‘Didn’t Princess Elizabeth look beautiful, and wasn’t Prince Philip handsome?’ Rebekah sighed dreamily as they climbed on the packed omnibus.
Adina smiled at her indulgently. Already, Rebekah dreamed of being married and having a family of her own when she grew up, whereas Esther was determined to become a doctor. The girls were as different as chalk from cheese, and yet for all that they got along splendidly, even if Esther did complain from time to time that Rebekah was soppy. Their lives had fallen into a comfortable routine now, and although Adina still missed Karl and her baby, she kept her feelings to herself and never mentioned them. She did her crying when she was alone, and to outward appearances she seemed content, which she was for most of the time.
It was late afternoon by the time they arrived back at the house, and Beryl hurried down into the kitchen to warm up a stew that she had made the day before, whilst Adina supervised the children, getting their hats and coats off and changing into their slippers. Once she had thrown some more coal onto the fire and they were comfortably settled in the drawing room, she joined Beryl in the kitchen to see what she could do to help. They had given Beattie the day off as she had been going to watch the wedding too with her sister who lived in Croydon, but Beryl seemed to have everything under control and the table was already neatly laid.
As Adina filled glasses full of milk for the children she asked conversationally, ‘Are you off to the youth club with Father Mick this evening?’
Beryl nodded happily. ‘Yes, I am, after I’ve got Cathy ready for bed. That is, if you don’t mind watching them all? Phew! Me arms feel as if they’re about to drop off after hoikin’ Cathy about all day. She’s gettin’ to be a right weight now, ain’t she?’
Adina warmed the teapot before pouring boiling water onto the tea leaves. She then placed the tea cosy on and left it to mash for a few minutes.
‘She’s doing marvellously,’ she agreed. ‘And of course I’ll be fine with the children. I have a stack of paperwork to do from the school so I shall tackle that once I’ve got them all off to bed.’
‘Thanks, Dina.’ Beryl stirred the stew and once again Adina was struck by the difference in her friend since she had first returned home. She was dressed in one of the ‘new look’ frocks that Adina had sewn for her after Beryl had seen the style in a magazine. A new French designer called Christian Dior had recently burst onto the fashion scene and had introduced the latest trend of slightly longer skirts. Women were tired of the drab utility clothing they had been forced to wear during the war, and dresses like the one Beryl was wearing now were becoming very popular.
Beryl had been broken when she first returned to live with her, but now she was mended – and Adina was glad of that. As of yet, the relationship between Father Mick and Beryl seemed to have gone no further than friendship, and Adina could only hope that it would remain that way.
The meal was a light-hearted affair, with the children constantly talking about the wedding in between mouthfuls of beef stew and dumplings. As soon as it was over, Adina sent them back to the drawing room to do quiet activities such as board games, jigsaws or colouring in, while she and Beryl tackled the washing-up. And then once the kitchen was all shipshape again, Beryl darted off to get changed whilst Adina started to get the younger children ready for bed.
Not long after, Beryl floated down the stairs in her warm coat leaving a waft of Evening in Paris perfume in her wake. Adina had bought it for her for her birthday, and Beryl used it sparingly as she loved it.
‘What do you think of this lipstick?’ she asked as she eyed herself critically in the hall mirror and fastened her hat on. ‘It’s a new colour called Ruby Red. Do you think it’s too bright?’
‘Not at all. It is almost Christmas, isn’t it?’
Reassured, Beryl gave her hat one last pat to make sure that it was firmly secured. ‘Right, I’ll just go and give Cathy a goodnight kiss before I go, and I’ll see you later. Bye!’
At eight o’clock, when all the children had gone to bed, Adina settled down to tackle the pile of paperwork she had brought home from school.
Most of it involved the children whose parents she was still trying to trace, although she had done the majority of it now and she guessed that her work at the school would soon be over. It was no bad thing as far as she was concerned, as the Welfare Department were keeping her busy with children they had difficulty placing in long-term homes.
She began to open the various letters from the Salvation Army and the Red Cross, methodically noting which children they involved. It was a sad job, as she had discovered long ago. The majority of the people she was trying to trace had disappeared, leaving their children effectively orphaned. Once Adina had confirmed this, it was then the job of the local Welfare Department to find them new homes, be it in an orphanage or with foster families.
She worked steadily on, but she was tired after the long day and the room was deliciously warm and cosy, with the fire burning brightly in the grate . . . In no time at all she was sound asleep with nothing but the ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece and the popping of the coals on the fire to be heard.
Something woke her, and as she blinked her eyes open she was aware that the fire had burned low and the temperature in the room had dropped considerably. After glancing at the clock she was shocked to see that it was gone eleven o’clock and she wondered if Beryl was home. Lifting the poker from the hearth, she gave the fire a good riddle then threw a little more coal on before hurrying away to the kitchen, intent on making herself a last hot drink before she went to bed.
The kitchen was in darkness, but when she clicked on the light she was confronted with Beryl, who was huddled at the table sobbing as if her heart was about to break.
‘Beryl!’ Adina was beside her in a moment. ‘Whatever is the matter, love?’
When Beryl raised her head, Adina was shocked. The young woman’s hat had slipped to one side and was now sitting at a rakish angle, and her lipstick was smeared. Mascara was streaked down her cheeks and her eyes were red-rimmed. Adina immediately thought the worst as panic flared inside her. ‘Has someone attacked you on the way home?’ she demanded.
Beryl shook her head miserably. ‘N . . . no, it’s nothing like that,’ she managed to choke out as Adina drew out a chair and plonked herself down beside her.
‘Then what is it?’
‘It . . . it doesn’t matter.’
‘Of course it matters. Now tell me what’s happened.’
For a moment she thought that Beryl was going to do just that, but then her friend suddenly rose from the table and headed towards the door.
‘Where are you going?’
‘To bed.
I’ll see you in the morning.’ And before Adina could utter so much as another word, the door closed behind Beryl, leaving Adina to chew on her lip. She had never seen her friend so upset and had no idea what could have caused her to be so – but if Beryl wasn’t prepared to talk to her, there was nothing she could do about it for now.
After turning off the lights she checked that the doors front and back were locked, then slowly made her way to bed.
The next morning at breakfast, Beryl’s eyes were swollen and red and she was very quiet, but luckily the children didn’t seem to notice it as she and Adina got them ready for school. When the meal was over they ushered them into the hall to get their shoes and coats on, and it was then that Beattie let herself in the front door with the key that Adina had supplied her with.
‘Gawd luv us!’ she exclaimed as she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Beryl’s reddened eyes. ‘Whatever’s happened to you, pet?’
‘Nothing,’ Beryl said dully as she shrugged Christopher’s arm into the sleeve of his coat. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Well, yer don’t look fine,’ Beattie retorted in her usual forthright way. ‘You look bloomin’ awful.’
‘Thanks very much.’ There was a hint of sarcasm in Beryl’s voice as Adina and Beattie exchanged a worried glance.
Deciding that things had gone far enough, Adina now addressed Rebekah. ‘Do you think you could drop Christopher off at his school on the way to yours for me?’ she asked. ‘There are a few things I need to see to and I thought I might go in to work a little late today.’
‘Course I can.’ Rebekah’s chest puffed with importance as she took hold of Christopher’s hand, much to his disgust.
‘’Ere,’ he objected. ‘I ain’t a baby, you know. I can walk by meself.’
Adina herded the three squabbling children towards the door, and once they were gone she lifted Cathy and dumped her in Beattie’s arms, saying, ‘Could you take her into the kitchen for a while, please, Beattie? I need to speak to Beryl.’
Beattie nodded obligingly and pottered off in that direction as Adina took Beryl by the elbow and led her protesting towards the drawing room.
‘Right,’ she said firmly, once the door was closed behind them. ‘Now you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on because I’m not leaving this house until you do.’
Beryl’s nostrils flared with indignation but then just as suddenly, her shoulders slumped and she sat down on the nearest chair. ‘It’s Father Mick,’ she wept. ‘I won’t be seeing him again.’
‘What?’ Adina was shocked. She knew how much Beryl thought of him. ‘But why? Has he hurt you in some way? If he has, I’ll—’
‘Of course he hasn’t hurt me,’ Beryl said, stopping her friend in midflow. ‘At least, not how you’re thinking, but . . . well, he kissed me last night.’
‘Oh.’ Adina deflated like a balloon although the news didn’t really come as a shock. ‘And is that such a bad thing?’
‘It could have been, if I’d let him do what he suggested. He told me that he loved me and he was going to leave the Church so that we could be married when my divorce came through.’
‘Then he really must love you.’
‘Yes. I think we’ve both known how we feel about each other for some time now, but we also knew that the Church would frown on him marrying a divorcée. He loves what he does, Dina, and I couldn’t let him make that sacrifice for me. He would never have been truly happy if he had been forced to leave his vocation. And so I told him it would be better if we were to end it now, before it had really begun. He’ll get over it in time. But it’s strange, isn’t it? When I married Tyrone I was swept away by his looks and the kind of life he said he could offer me. Mick is as poor as a church mouse and yet I would willingly have gone to him even if it meant living on dry bread for the rest of my life. Love is a funny thing.’
‘Don’t I know it,’ Dina agreed bitterly. ‘Look at me. I would have staked my life that Karl loved me and would come back to me, but he didn’t, did he? It seems that love can make fools of all of us.’ Her eyes sparkling with tears, she leaned towards her friend and squeezed her hand affectionately as she told her, ‘I’m so sorry. I guessed a long time ago how you felt about Father Mick and I feared this happening, for your sake.’
Beryl shrugged bravely. ‘Well, I’ll just have to get on with my life now and try to put this all behind me. I don’t have much choice, do I?’
Adina hugged her friend and thought yet again how very wicked life could be.
Chapter Forty-Five
March 1948
‘Come on you lot, or you’ll be late for school,’ Adina shouted. Instantly the children stampeded towards her and then chaos reigned for a time as they all tried to get their shoes and coats on at the same time. There were five children living in the house at present, the latest to join them being a small girl who had recently been orphaned. Annie was a bright little spark and had fitted into the household as if she had always been there, although she would not be staying with them longterm. Luckily, she had an aunt who lived in Manchester who was prepared to look after her and so Adina was caring for her until the aunt arrived to fetch her, which should be any day now. Adina knew that she would miss her when she left, but was getting used to saying goodbye to the many children she had cared for by now. Miss Higgins was still a regular visitor to the house and it was rare that they had an empty bedroom for long – Miss Higgins saw to that.
It was some months now since Beryl had make the decision to end her relationship with Father Mick, and Adina was painfully aware that the sparkle had gone out of her friend again. She would catch her at odd moments staring off into space and her heart would ache for her because she understood exactly how she was feeling. There were still days when she missed Karl so much it was almost like a physical pain, and she would find herself staring at little girls who looked to be about the same age as Dottie, filled with acute longing. But life had to go on and Adina was a fighter. She had taken on the role of getting the children to Sunday school each week as they all seemed to enjoy it and she had been saddened to see that Father Mick didn’t seem to be quite the chirpy chap he had once been either.
‘Off you go then. Be good, mind, and watch how you cross the roads.’ Adina was only working afternoons at the school now and so Esther made sure that the younger children got to their school safely each morning before proceeding on to her own.
As she opened the door and the chattering children spilled down the steps, a the postman pushed through them and placed some letters in her hand.
‘Thank you, Henry.’ She smiled as he hefted his mail sack higher onto his shoulder and made for next door. She watched until the children were out of sight then glanced through the mail, noting an official-looking document addressed to Beryl. When she spotted a solicitor’s address in the top corner she frowned. As far as she was aware, the only solicitor Beryl had had anything to do with was the one who was handling her divorce, and she wondered if he had finally got a reply from Tyrone. Not that it would make much difference to Beryl now, Adina thought sadly. Married or divorced, she knew that nothing could ever come of anything between Father Mick and her friend.
As she looked up, she saw Beryl descending the stairs with Cathy and she handed her the letter. ‘It’s from your solicitor,’ she told her. ‘I wonder if Tyrone has finally decided to give you a divorce?’
Beryl took it from her and she tore the envelope open.
‘That’s funny – Mr Barraclough says he wants to see me tomorrow morning at ten o’clock on a matter of some importance. What do you think that could be about?’
‘I’ve no idea. But it won’t be a problem. I can have Cathy while you keep your appointment – unless you want me to come with you, that is? In which case I’m sure Beattie wouldn’t mind watching her for us.’
‘I’ll be fine going on my own,’ Beryl assured her. ‘I’m not going to get upset about anything he has to tell me about Tyrone. He’s probably just being dif
ficult and refusing to go ahead with the divorce because I left him.’
‘Hm, I have an awful feeling you might be right.’
‘Well, it doesn’t really matter either way now, does it?’ Beryl said, disheartened. ‘I ain’t planning on getting married again ever, so if Tyrone wants to play his little games he’s welcome to. It’ll be no skin off my nose now, though I would like to be shot of the bastard. I must admit I’m curious though.’
And then they went about their business as usual and neither of them gave the letter much more thought for the rest of the day.
The next morning, as soon as the children had left for school, Beryl came downstairs looking very smart in a black calf-length pencil skirt that Adina had made for her and a crisp white blouse.
‘Eeh, you do look posh, luvvie,’ Beattie said admiringly as she paused from polishing the hall table.
‘Thanks.’ Beryl blushed becomingly as she pulled her coat on. Now that it was time to keep the appointment she was suddenly feeling apprehensive about what it might entail.
‘I shan’t be long,’ she promised Adina as she stroked Cathy’s shining hair, and then she was gone and Adina hurried upstairs to make the beds whilst Beattie kept an eye on the little girl who was happily playing with a doll’s house.
When Beryl came back an hour and a half later, Adina was shocked to see how ghastly she looked.
‘My God, you’re as white as a sheet,’ she gasped as she pressed her friend down onto a hall chair. ‘Whatever did the solicitor say? Has Tyrone refused to give you a divorce?’
‘N . . . no,’ Beryl told her unsteadily. ‘He can’t. He’s dead, you see. Apparently he was killed about three months ago in a car accident, but the solicitor has only just found out about it.’ She shook her head in disbelief. ‘He was a bad ’un, but I would never have wished this on him. I just can’t take it in. He was only twenty-seven years old.’
Beattie rushed away to put the kettle on, convinced that a cup of tea was the cure for all ills. Beryl certainly looked like she could do with one. Beattie needed one herself, and that was a fact – and she hadn’t even known the bloke!
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